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Juvenile justice advocates argue that the use of ankle, wrist, and other restraints in courtrooms deprives young people of a fair trial by creating bias, while traumatizing them and their families. Read More

Tools developed by FrameWorks Institute, recipient of the MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions, help advocates develop an effective narrative to advance juvenile justice reform. Read More

A guide released by the Children and Family Justice Center at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law describes the significant impacts of having a juvenile court record on youths’ employment, housing, and education prospects. Read More

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that its 2012 decision banning mandatory life-without-parole sentences for juveniles convicted of murder must be applied retroactively, granting hundreds of men and women a new sentencing or parole hearing. Read More

Remarks below as prepared for delivery at the Models for Change Tenth Annual Working Conference on December 15, 2015.
Thank you for the opportunity to bring this conference – indeed, an era – to a close. Yesterday I ... Read More

Every state has implemented developmentally-appropriate juvenile justice reform over the last 15 years, according to a report supported by the MacArthur Foundation’s Models for Change initiative. Read More

In recent years, U.S. juvenile justice legislation has significantly shifted in favor of broad system reforms that reflect the latest adolescent development research distinguishing juveniles from adults. Read More

Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner signed into law legislation to end automatic transfers to adult court for youth charged with certain serious crimes, ensuring their cases will be heard before a juvenile court judge. Read More

Washington, D.C. will end the routine shackling of juvenile defendants during court appearances, according to an agreement among political leaders and judges in the city’s federally run court systems. Read More

New York, Nevada, West Virginia, and Wisconsin have been selected to participate in Improving Diversion Polices and Programs for Justice-Involved Youth with Behavioral Health Disorders: An Integrated Policy Academy-Action Network Initiative. Read More

Representative Grants

$300,000 maintenance of the Juvenile Justice Resource Hub, which provides online news consumers with resources related to juvenile justice reform in the United States, while transitioning updating and oversight responsibilities to Kennesaw State University.

Representative Grants

$750,000 To advance effective local justice systems reform nationally by providing information, technical assistance, and support to county leaders on innovative policies and practices to improve public safety and reduce over-reliance on incarceration (over two years).